Increasing egg production in poultry by administering poultry feeding thiamine derivatives and poultry feed compositions containing said derivatives



United States Patent Oifice 3,439,095 Patented Apr. 15, 1969 3,439,095 INCREASING EGG PRODUCTION IN POULTRY BY ADMINISTERING POULTRY FEEDING THIAMINE DERIVATIVES AND POULTRY FEED COMPOSITIONS CONTAINING SAID DERIVATIVES Yoshio Hamada, Tokyo, and Motohisa Yoshino, Osaka, Japan, assiguors to Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd., Osaka, Japan No Drawing. Filed Dec. 28, 1965, Ser. No. 517,115 Claims priority, application Japan, Dec. 29, 1964, 39/ 74,887 Int. Cl. A61k 27/00; A23k N16 US. Cl. 424255 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method for elevating the rate of egg product-ion, fertility and hatchability of poultry comprises the feeding of the poultry with a compound of the formula wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having up to 6 carbon atoms, tetrahydrofuryl and tetrahydropyranyl, in feedstuff, the amount of compound being 5 to 100 milligrams per kilogram of a feedstuif.

This invention relates to an improvement in poultry feeding.

More particularly, this invention relates to a method for elevating the rate of egg production, fertility and hatchability of poultry, which comprises feeding poultry a certain amount of a compound of the formula wherein R is lower alkyl having up to 6 carbon atoms, tetrahydrofuryl or tetrahydropyranyl, along with conventional feedst-uff.

It is known that vitamin B is an essential factor for keping poultry healthy and that deficiency thereof in feedstuif results in so-called vita-min B dystrophy such as leg paralysis, cramp and even in death of the poultry.

It has also been confirmed that poultry is kept healthy when fed a feedstuff containing about 2 milligrams of vitamin B (usually as thiamine chloride hydrochloride) per kilogram of the feedstuff -(cf. Poultry Nutrition, 5th Edition Revised. W. Ray Ewing (1963); National Research Council). Conventional feedstuff for poultry therefore contains, or is compounded to contain, 2 milligrams or a little more of vitamin B per kilogram of the feed-' stuff.

Nevertheless, a poultry raiser who intends to provide eggs or to propagate poultry often periodically encounters decreasing rate of egg production, especially in midsummer, in cold winter, during the molting term or when the birds become older than one year and a half. In such periods as above the fertility decreases, and even when fertilized eggs are used for the propagation, hatchability is reduced. Therefore, it has been a long-cherished desire in the art of poultry raising to solve the problem of how to avoid the periodical decreases in the rate of egg production, in fertility and in hatchability.-

At first, and for the first time as far as we are aware,

we thought that the unfavorable decreases might be avoided by supplying poultry with an excess amount of vitamin B However, no improvement in rate of egg production, in fertility and in hatchability was observed when feedstutf was enriched with a relatively high amount of vitamin B even with such an unusually high concentration of vitamin B as 20 milligrams per kilogram of feedstuff.

On the other hand, the problem is solved according to this invention by supplying poultry with feedstuii enriched with a compound represented by the general Formula I, hereinafter referred to soley as Compounds I. The rate of egg production, fertility and hatchability are clearly improved when a certain large amount of Compounds (I) is administered to poultry, and the eifect is especially outstanding in such periods as mentioned above, i.e., midsummer, in cold winter, in the molting term or when the birds become older than one year and ahalf.

The object of this invention is therefore to provide a method for improving the rate of egg production, fertility and hatchability of poultry.

Another object is to provide a feedstuff for poultry by which decreases in rate of egg production, in fertility and in hatchability are avoided.

Said objects are realized by the expedient of feeding a certain amount of Compounds (I) along with conventional feedstuff.

For the above mentioned objects, Compounds (1) such as thiamine propyl disulfide (TPD), thiamine butyl disulfide (TBD), thiamine heptyl disulfide (THD), thiamine tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide (TTFD), thiamine tetrahydropyranyl 2-methyl disulfide (T TPD) can be employed. Hereinafter, the respective compounds are referred to by the abbreviated designations shown in the parentheses. The said Compounds (I) are used as free bases or as their acid addition salts, such as hydrochloride, nitrate and sulfate.

The method of this invention, is applicable to any poultry such as hen, layer, breeder, duck, turkey, quail, etc.

The Compounds (I) are conveniently given to the poultry by being admixed with conventional ,feedstuif. Also the Compounds (I) can be given to the poultry in pellet or mash form or with drinking water. In order to uniformly admixed the Compounds (1) with a conventional feedstutf or drinking water, they can be used as powder, suspension or emulsion.

Generally, the amount of the Compounds (I) to be given to poultry is in the range of about 5 to milligrams, most preferably about 10 to 40 milligrams, per kilogram of a conventional feedstuif. For example, in the case of addition to a feedstuff, it is preferable to adjust the concentration of the Compounds (I) in the feedstuff to about 5 to 100 milligrams per kilogram.

The Compounds (I) can be given to poultry every day or at an interval of several days, for example, one week.

Following are test runs to show the elfect of the present invention, and also examples of presently preferred embodiments of the invention. In these test runs and examples, precentages of compositions are all by weight unless othherwise noted. Percentage of egg production is determined as:

may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as those skilled in the art will readily understand. Such modifications and variations are considered to be within thhe purview and scope of the invention and appended claims.

TEST 1 Samples: Thiamine hydrochloride (hereinafter referred to as B HCI), TTFD, TPD.

Test material: White leghorn (breeder).

Number of one group:

female12 heads a section male-8 heads a section Composition of basal diet: (Vitamin B -free feedstuff is designated basal diet).

Percent Polished rice 53 Casein 20 Soybean oil 5 Cornstarch 8 Powdered filter paper 2 Vitamin mixtures 1 2 Mineral mixtures 2 10 Composition of vitamin mixtures in basal diet (per kilogram) Vitamin A 1200 International Units (hereinafter referred to as I'll).

Vitamin D5 3400 3.5 milligrams. 30.0 milligrams.

Nicotinic acid Pantothenic acid calcium Method of test: Test breeders were previously fed with only basal diet for two weeks in order to render uniform the respective breeders physical condition. Test breeders were fed with test feedstuif (1.5 milligrams of each sample was added per 1 kilogram of feedstufi) for two weeks to observe the rate of egg production, fertility and hatchability.

Result:

(I) The percentage of egg production (percent):

Amount Percentage added to 1 1st 2nd Average of increase kilogram week week of two relative to basal diet, weeks that of mg control Control, B HOL 1.5 71.5 78.7 75.1 100 TTFD 1. 5 81. 5 81. 5 81. 5 108. 5 TPD l. 5 82. 9 81. 5 82. 4 109. 7

(II) Fertility (percent) Amount Percentage added to 1 1st 2nd Average of increase kilogram week week of two relative to basal diet, weeks that of mg control Control, B HCl 1. 5 69. 0 56. 0 62. 5 100. 0 TTFD 1. 5 83. 0 86. 0 81. 5 130. 7 TPD. 1. 5 73. 5 73. 5 117. 6

*The test breeders were killed by a homeless dog, so we can not have this data.

(III) Hatchability (percent):

Amount Percentage added to 1 1st 2nd Average of increase kilogram week week of two relative to basal diet, weeks that of mg. control Conclusion: TPD and TTFD have excellent effects in elevating the rate of egg production, fertility and batchability, in comparison with B HCl in addition to 1.5 milligrams per kilogram of basal diet. 1.5 milligrams: esential vitamin B requirement of breeders.)

TEST 2 Sample: TPD, TTFD. Test material: Female, New Hampshire (breeder), one year and seven months of age.

Number of one group: 48 heads a section. Composition of feedstuff:

Percent Corn, yellow 55 Soybean meal 12 Bran 12 Scrap powdered fish meal 4 Fish solubles 5 Molasses mixed feed 3.5 Phosphoric acid 2.75 Sodium hydrochloride 0.5 Powdered bones 1.0 Vitamin A 0.03 Mineral mixtures 0.02 Calcium carbonate 4.2 Vitamin D 0.002

(Vitamin B content in feedstuif: 4.44 mg./kilogram.)

Method of test: Three test feedstuiis were prepared by supplementing 10 milligrams of TPD, 10 milligrams of TTFD and 20 milligrams of TPD to each 1 kilogram of the feedstufi of the above composition. Hens were fed with each feedstuif. The percentage of egg production was observed from Oct. 2 to the next Mar. 29. The abovementioned convention feedstufi is continuously employed as the control.

Result:

Amount Average added to Nov. Dec J an. Feb. Mar of five 1 kg. ieedmonths stufi, mg.

Control.-. 0 47. 3 31. 5 17. 0 25. 0 45. 9 33. 0 TPD. 10 48. 3 39. 7 27. 9 36. 5 49. 9 40. 5 (121) 20 47. 2 39. 8 27. 3 36. 2 54. 3 41. 0 (123) TTFD 10 45. 5 38.2 27. 3 36.2 53.4 40. 1

Conclusion: The test breeders used in this test were nearly 2 years old and their abilities of egg production were weak. However, Compounds (1) gave good results for recovering their egg production abilities.

TEST 3 Samples: B HCl, TPD, TTFD.

Test material: A hybrid between New Hampshire and white leghorn, 8 months old.

Number of one group: 13 heads of section.

A1so known as milo-maise.

Percent Phosphoric acid 0.4 Sodium hydrochloride 0.35 Furazolidone 0.1 Vitamin and mineral mixture 0.15

Composition of vitamin and mineral mixture (per kilogram of breeder used).

Method of test: Hens were previously fed with only conventional feedstufr for thirty-three days (from May 19 to June 20) in order to make uniform the respective hens physical conditions. These hens were then fed with each test feedstufi (20 milligrams of each sample was added in 1 kilogram of feedstufl) for sixty days (from June 21 to August 19) to observe the egg production ability. The said conventional feedstutf is continuously employed as the control.

Result:

The percentage oi egg production Amount (percent) added to 1 kg. ieed- Pre-test period Test period (60 stuff, mg (30 days from days from June 21 May 19 to June 20) to August 19) Conclusion: TPD supplemented to conventional feedstuff contributes to preventing the decrease of egg production rate during summer, while B HCl does not.

TEST 4 Sample: B HCl, TPD. Test material. White leghorn (breeder).

Number of one group: male 4 heads a section female 33 heads a section Composition of feedstufi: The same composition as in Test 3.

Method of test: Test breeders were previously fed with only conventional feedstufi for one month to make uniform the respective breeders physical conditions. The test breeders were fed with each test feedstutf (5 milli- 1 kilogram of feedstufi) for three months to observe the rate of egg production. The said conventional feedstuif is continuously employed as the control.

Result:

Amount The percentage of egg production added to 1 (percent) kg. feedstufi, mg. January February March Average Control 0 49. 9 62. 5 62. 7 58. 4. 10 BiHCl 20 52.5 61.9 74.5 62.9 TPD 2O 58. 2 74. 9 80. 3 71. 1

Conclusion: Addition of Compounds (I) to conventional feedstuif served to prevent decrease of the egg production even in cold winter.

TEST 5 Sample: TPD. Test material: White RockXWhite Cornish (breeder).

Number of one group: female 150 heads a section male 15 heads a section Composition of feedstuff (commercial feedstuff):

Percent I Corn, yellow 48 Milo (milo-maise) l4 Bran 3 Wheat middlings 5 Soy bean meal 10 Scrap powdered fish meal 6 Fish solubles 3 Fat mixed feed 2 Alfalfa meal 7 3 Calcium carbonate 5 v Phosphoric acid (Ca (PO 0.4 39 NaCl 0.35 Vitamin premix 1 0.1 Mineral premix 0.05 Furazolidone 0.01

1 Vitamin premix (per killogram of feedstutf) 40 Vitamin A 7536 Vitamin B1 .14 Vitamin B2 4.60 Vitamin E 5.00 Vitamin D3 IU 1000 Vitamin Be mg 5.00 Pantothenic acid Ca mg 27.500 Nicotinic acid mg 5.00 Choline chloride i. mg... 1400.00 Folic acid m 0.60

Mineral premix (per kilogram of feedstuff) Percent Mn 12 Zn 4 Fe 4 Cu 0.4 CO 0.06

Method of test: Test breeders were previously fed with only conventional feedstulf containing 2.2 milligrams of B HCl (per kilogram) for 13 days to render uniform the respective birds physical conditions. The breeders were fed with a feedstuif containing 20 milligrams of TPD (per kilogram of feedstuif) for 19 days to observe the percentage of egg production. The said conventional 0 feedstuff is continuously employed as the control,

grams and 20 milligrams of each sample were added in Result:

Conventional feeding TPD 20 mg.

The date The The The hatch- The The The hatchnumber oi fertility, ability, number of fertility, ability, hatching percent percent hatching percent percent eggs eggs Pre-test period 7/13 672 93 87. 3 679 93. 7 84. 1 7/19 416 90. 3 85. 6 355 91. 8 85. 6 7/25 469 89. 8 88. 5 434 93. 6 85. 7

Average 91. 0 86. 3 93. 0 85. 1 Test period 8/18 216 79. 0 72. 2 177 90. 4 85. 3 8/24 238 82.8 76. 1 222 86. 5 82. 4 8/30 245 77. 5 70. 2 126 92. 9 81. 0 9/5 252 83. 5 74. 2 266 91. 0 82. 3

Average 80. 7 73. 2 90. 2 80. 3

The date is the day on which selected eggs were put in incubator.

Conclusion: Addition of TPD to the conventional feed- Limestone or oyster shell do 150.00 stuff contributes to preventing the decrease of the fertility Meat and bone scrap do 100.00 and hatchability in summer. Phosphate, dicalcium (26% Ca, 18%

P) do 15.00 Composition Example 1 5 Soybean meal do 325.00 Alfalfa metal grams 50.00 Salt "-r 1M0 Com, yellow 142000 Trace m1noral gpp Fat, animal or hydrolyzed 1 do 3000 g a Pram "r '28 7 Fish meal do 50.00 grams Limestone or oyster shell do 100.00 10 See footnotes following a p e 5. Meat and bone scrap do 100.00 The foregoing ingredients are intimately and homo- 1 Phosphate, dlcalclum, (26% Ca, 18% geneously admixed. The thus-prepared composition is es- P) dO 5. 0 pecially suitable for feeding, in accordance with the pre- Soybean meal do 185.00 viously set forth procedure, to layers in the summer time. Salt do 5.00 Exam 1 5 0.11115. do 50.00 Composition P e 3 TIIaCe m1nera1 li p Alfalfa meal 100 00 Vitamin premix do 5.00 TPD miniorams 6O Corn, yellow d0 1194.00 20 Fat, animal or hydrolyzed 1 d0 20.00

See footnotes following Example 5. 7 Fish meal 5000 The foregoing ingredients are intimately and homo- Limestone or oystershell do 100.00 geneously admixed. The thus-prepared composition is es- Meat and bone scrap do 50.00 pecially suitable for feeding, in accordance with the pre- Phosphate, dicalcium (26% Ca, 18%P) -viously set forth procedure, to breeders in the winter time. Grams 20.00

Example 2 Soy-bean meal do 200.00 Corn osition B: Salt 10'00 alfalfa meal granls 50.00 SO'OO Com, yellow 132000 Trace mineral supplement d0 0.50 Fat, animal or hydrolyzed do 20.00 30 Vltamm Premlxi 500 .Fish meal TPD 50 Limestone Or oyster shell dO 125.00 1 Fat may be replaced by molasses or grain. Meat and b Scrap d0 2 C0111 Distillers Dried Gr n!- Phosphate, dicalcium (26% Ca, 18% a Trace mineral supplement contains: Percent P) do 10.00 3o Mn 24 Soybean meal do 260.00 Q; Salt do 10.00 ilu C.D.D.S. -5 do 50.00 C0 x iigglig gfgiii ipp -gg- 8 4O 4 Vitamin premix contains t A 1600 115. Ph i TTFD mllllgrams 70 V1 amm n s. armacopoe a Vitamin D3 300 International Chick See footnotes following Example 5. Units.

The foregoing ingredients are intimately and homovltamm E 8 m f Cluck geneously admixed. The thus-prepared composition is es- 415 vitamilkBfl milligram- Riboflavin 0.6 milligram. pecially suitable for feeding, in accordance with the pre- Nieotinic acid 2 milligrams. vlously set forth procedure, to breeders in the summer dpalltothemc acld mllllgmm- Choline 60.0 milligrams. time. Menadione 0.132 milligram.

Example 3 assessm- (z-gamete. Composition C: 50 g h Alfalfa meal grams 25.00 y af fifi'giiltifi iinSiifiif d1 yam 6 eth Yellow 1424-00 Vitamin premix contains: go alllmlal or hydrolyzed 1 "g gg-gg Vitamin A 16010198. Pharmacopoeia i 18 mea o 11 Limestone or oyster shell do 125.00 Vltamin D3 1S f Chick Meat and bone scrap do 100.00 Vitamin E OA i U (nternational P p dioaloium Vitamin B... 0.00s g nglia;

1M0 ifiiflii airgentlest Soybean meal 25000 d-Pantothenic agi 0.4 milligram. S lt d 5 Choline 60 millig mms. g? .mineral. sgpplement 3 "g Liiiiji ihi i amln premix o oxyqllelm s m- TIFD milligrams 40.00 ggfgge gtsgams 252 See footnotes following Example 5. Vitamin premix contains Vitamin A 1600 U.S. Pharmacopoeia The foregoing ingredients are intimately and homo- Units. geneously admixed. The thus-prepared composition 18 es- Vitamin D3 300 International Chick D S. pc l ly sui ble for feeding, in accordance with the pre- Vitamin E 4 m (International Chick vlously set forth procedure, to layers in the winter time. Units E I 4 gigarfrliim B12 g).(2)012mn1llligram. xamp e 1 0 avln in igrams. Nicotinic acid 2 milligrams. Composltlon d-Pantothenic acid 2.8 milligrams.

lfalfa meal grams 25.00 gf o g e gg x il lg g a ng 1 g Y "g 53-8 acid 8.5g2111 1il1l%11:am. at, anima or y ro yze o 0 q mi gi a Ethoxyqueim is an antioxidant: 1,2dihydr06-eth- F1511 meal 25-00 oxy-Z,2,4-trimethyl-quino1ine.

The foregoing ingredients are intimately and homogeneously admixed. The thus-prepared composition is especially suitable for feeding, in accordance with the previously set forth procedure, to turkey breeders.

The foregoing compositions A to E are intended solely to be illustrative and to typify compositions according to the present invention.

The precise composition of the conventional poultry feedstuif is per se not part of this invention and can be varied as desired, the invention proper being tied to the use of the Compounds I in the disclosed and claimed relationship.

Having thus disclosed this invention, what is claimed is:

1. Method for elevating the rate of egg production, fertility and hatchability of poultry, which comprises feeding the poultry a compound of the formula wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having up to 6 carbon atoms, tetrahydrofuryl and tetrahydropyranyl, in feedstuff, the amount of compound being to 100 milligrams per kilogram of a feedstuff.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compound is thiamine propyl disulfide.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compound is thiamine tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide.

4. A feed composition for elevating the rate of egg production, fertility and hatchability of laying poultry, which consists essentially of a conventional feedstulf and a compound of the formula wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having up to 6 carbon atoms, tetrahydrofuryl and tetrahydropyranyl, in an amount of about 5 to milligrams per kilogram of the feedstuff.

5 A feeding composition according to claim 4, wherein the compound is thiamine propyl disulfide.

6. A feeding composition according to claim 4, wherein the compound is thiamine tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,860,050 11/1958 Huff et al 994 3,016,380 1/1962 Yurugi et al. 260-2565 OTHER REFERENCES Morrison: Feeds and Feeding, The Morrison Publishing Company, 1956, pp. -136.

A. LOUIS MONACELL, Primary Examiner. H. H. KLARE III, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 99-4 

